Manufacturer begins hiring process at new location

Published: Saturday, February 1, 2014 at 08:39 PM.

German-headquartered auto parts manufacturer KSM Castings is now hiring local workers, a year after the company announced plans to open plant in North Carolina.

“Great progress is being made on-site with the new KSM Castings facility, and the company is in the early hiring stages currently,” said Kristin Fletcher, executive vice president of the Cleveland County Economic Development Partnership.

KSM’s plant manager and his family planned to move from Germany to the Cleveland County area recently, Fletcher said.

“We anticipate that he will be instrumental in the future phases of hiring,” Fletcher said.

KSM has said it plans to hire 70 employees in the first year of operation and 40 the next year at its new Shelby location.

It was previously reported that KSM would accept applications beginning at the end of 2013 and the first quarter of 2014.

German-headquartered auto parts manufacturer KSM Castings is now hiring local workers, a year after the company announced plans to open plant in North Carolina.

“Great progress is being made on-site with the new KSM Castings facility, and the company is in the early hiring stages currently,” said Kristin Fletcher, executive vice president of the Cleveland County Economic Development Partnership.

KSM’s plant manager and his family planned to move from Germany to the Cleveland County area recently, Fletcher said.

“We anticipate that he will be instrumental in the future phases of hiring,” Fletcher said.

KSM has said it plans to hire 70 employees in the first year of operation and 40 the next year at its new Shelby location.

It was previously reported that KSM would accept applications beginning at the end of 2013 and the first quarter of 2014.

Ultimately, KSM plans to hire190 people by the end of 2018.

Further details on the hiring process were not available from the company this week.

KSM broke ground on its west Shelby plant in July 2013, with plans for more than 200 construction jobs at the site.

Construction on the facility continues. A worker died at the site Friday after he was struck in the head by a falling pipe, according to authorities.

Jobs: Applicants can get more information through KSM’s human resources department. Angela Jones, the company’s human resources manager, can be reached via email at Angela.Jones@KSMCastings.com. The company website is www.KSMCastings.com. Officials have said the average annual wage for new jobs is $42,810, plus benefits. The average annual wage in Cleveland County is $32,760.